Drier and feeding device for coated or lithographed sheets or the like



HpP. ODQNNELL. DRIERAND FEEDNG DEVICE FOR COATED OR LiTHOGIRAPHED SHEETS 0R THE LIKEi APPLTCATION FILED MAR. 9, 1917.

Patented Mar. 6,1920.

4 SHEETS-S EET INVENTOR uw Y ATTRNEYS w v E .i ...E-.Bill t1...

.IEE- E n WITNESSES: @W

H. P. ODDNNELL. DRIER AND FEEDING` DEVICE FOR COATED OR LITHOGRAPHED SHEETS OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION `FILIED MAR. 9. 1917.' l 1,333,769. Patented Mar.16,1920.

' 4SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Irv-VWM im ATTORNYS H. P?. ODONNELL.

DRIER AND'FEEDING DEVICE FOR COATED OR LITHOGRAPHED SHEETS 0R THE ALIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9, I9I7.

1 ,333,769 Patented Mar. 16, 1920.

4 SHEEIS-SHEEI 3,

I Z/ III WITNESSES t H. P. ODONNEL'L.

DRIER AND FEEDING DEVICE FOR COATED OR LITHOGRAPHED SHEETS OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9, 1917.

1,333,769. Patented Mar.16,'1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4 wITNEsss f ATTORNEYS fioation.

j sTATEs rATENToE-EICE.

HARRY r. o'DoNirE-Lnfor LUEEC.; MAINE, A

ssIGNon To AMERICAN 'CANy COMPANY, 0E

f NEW romz,.1\r.r ir.,y A CORPORATION oF'NEW JEnsiaiY;l

DRIE?. AND EEEmnGnEvmEa-on COATED on LITHOGRAPHED sHEETs E' THE LIKE. r

a c itizenof the UnitedStates, residing in l Lubes, inthe County of lVashington and Stateof Maine, haveinvented anew and useful Improvement in Driers and Feeding j lDevices forCoated or Lithographed Sheets or the like,r of which the following is a speci- This invention relates ingeneral to driers and feeding` means therefor for coatedv or lithographed sheets or the like. i Prior to my invention it has been; gener- `ally the custom toloeatethe drier `just 'bef yond the delivery table of a coating or litho-l graphing press. TheseV driersv'are ordinari-ly Y provided Wit-h two orl more oonveyers which vmove through ,the heating., chamber and 'hieli carry the'plates to dry .the coating. In order that the driers may take up, as

.little space as possible and yet have' theydeis'ire'd c apaoity,the Conyeyers are provided Vwith. racls which carryftheV l plates standing i on edge.

Prior to my invention: it has bee-.inly generallyv ther customV to `transferftlie plates from the pressjto the racks of the drier manually,

i tivo attendants'beingl positioned betWeentlie two?piecesfofapparatus. each Ytaking alternate sheets and. depositing" them ,in v the rac-ks'.- Thisgmanual feeding is objectionable not only beacuse of` the Wages necessarily paid the twoemployees but also of thediii-` culty vof preventing' ther manualr handling from marring the sheets or plates. s'the sheets aifedelivered Vfrom the press the" Coat'- ingorlithographing is yet and. any finger printsupon the plates are permanent. y

QA; further objectionv to thisV form of hanv tion f is'. the provision of a completelyY automatie, simple a.ndfefficient meehanism or dif-viceA for` transferring the. coated.' plates i Ycblieetly from the'press to the dfriersand'ft'his v Without-,appreciable alteration' of the press i or driers, and tothils 'eliminate any handling of 'theplatesg or sheets after theyhave been coated yand before they` enter the baking ovenevith the conseqnent elimination of Application med Marche, 1917.,l serial No. 153,546.

Specication of Letters Irliatent.' k-PafI1'tGd Mar. 165141920.

the ehan'eeof disiguration of the freshly printed surfaces by the operators" hands.

4Otheiiobjeetsand advantages of the invention Will.y be apparent as'it is better yunderstood `from` the following description when considered in connection with the ae- *com'pa'nying drawing illustrating ya preferred embodiment thereof.

f, Onj the'drawing, f

Figure 1 is a sideelevation ofV a feeding devicek embodying my present invention and showing also the adjacent parts of the printf ingpress andk bakingoven or drier; i

Fig. 2 is atop plan view `of the same; l 4Figui), is a section taken substantially on the lineB- ofFig. 1 and looking in the direction ofthe arrows; Y

F ig.` 4 is a detail*v section taken substanti-.uiyon the line' ifi of Eig. i;

Fig-.l5 is a View taken substantiallyon the .tionV tolbe later described.`

. Referring to the drzwvings7 AThe :ti'eedingv leviee shoiv'n on the drawing lis 4'adapted to receive coated or lithographed sheetsfrom a conveyer 1 forming a partof the printing press and'ieeeiving the plates suitable side guides 5 forniaintaining the plates in aceurate position being also provided. The conveyer 1 terminates the ordevice proper. These legs` ybeing see-tired v'upon suitable bases 9 and 10. The shaft 11 coi'itinuously driven ifi'oinany Ysource of frointlie print-ing rolls. This lcoiifveyerrom! `prises V.the ordinary delivery chain 2 provided With` the usual propelling fingers 3.

power (not shown) imparts motiony through "-.be'vel gears 12,' 13to asliaft Mlinounted in bearings 15 and 16 onthe legs T and 8. These bevel' gears arel held l'in'` mesh by a spring 17, indicated in Fig. 6. The shaft 14 carries a main drivin y spi'ocket 18 (at the 4left of Fig. 2 and rig it of Fig.` 6), and

Vthis main driving sprocket 18 through the agency of a sprocket chain 19 imparts movement to two sprocket wheels 20 a1id21. The sprocket wheel 20 is carried by a shaft 22 extending clear across the feeding mechanism and having bearings on the tops ofthe legs. The shaft 22 also carries a sprocket 23 which engages adrive chain 211 taking over and driving also a sprocket wheel 25 upon a shaft 26 having bearings 27 and 28 whichV may be attached to the main frame 29 of the baking oven or drier 30. The shaft 26 carries two sprocket wheels for the Vchains of what may be termed the feed conveyer. One of these sprocket wheels'31 is engaged by the chain 82 which takes over ay l sprocket whee 33 Vupon a shaft 34' mounted lin bearingsy 35 in the leg 8, and the other sprocket wheel 36 at the other side of the feed conveyer engages a similar chain 37 taking over a sprocket 38, the driveat one sidebeing substantially identical with the drive at `the other. The two chains 82'and Y 37thus inove in unison and they are .con-

nec-ted at appropriate distances Vby cross members 39 from which propelling pins or fingers 10 extend outwardly. The bearings 85 are mounted in guides 35 (Fig. V1) and may beheld in adjusted position in said guides by any means well 'known for "the purpose.

A slotted guide or supportfilis mounted above the upper travel ofthe feed conveyer and the pins or fingers 10, move throughV the slots of this support. The suppoit inthe present instance consists of a plurality of bars having curved upper faces supported at one end by a cross member L12 attached to legs 7 and 8 respectively, and at the other end by cross member e?) secured to brackets ed and 475 which also serve to hold up one end of the side guidesor guards 46 and 17.

The sprocket 21, already mentioned, and

which is driven by the sprocket chain 19,V

"a7 through brackets 57 and 58. The rods 53 are connected with pushv finger carriers or blocks 61 and 62. 1 p

These blocks are adapted to vslide and reciprocate transversely of the feeding device, beingguided in their movement by a bar 63 on which they are fitted. carries a push finger 66, 67, `(one'of which push fingers is shown 4in enlarged elevation Each block ypins 66', 67 It will be noted that, the faces 6,9 are verti-cal'and that springs 71 tend to pull the pushV fingers66 Y and 67A toward and into engagement with Vthe faces 69, which is their-operative position. y i

The push fingers 66 and 67 carry pins 72,

73, which are adapted to engage guides or Y bars 77 and 78Y to hold the fingers in the position shown in Fig. 8 during the inoperative periods of saidfingers. The two bars 77 and 78 are pivotally inountedat 79 and 80 on a cross member 7 4, which is secured to the side guards 116 and 47 by means of brackets 75 and 76. vTwo posts 88 extend up from the bar 7st and through springs 8st tend to maintain the bars 77 and 78 in the lowered position shown on the drawings and in en# gagement with lthe upper face of thebar 71. rlfhis arrangement leaves the bars 77 and 78 in substantially horizontal positioin'the ends 81 and 82 being curved downwardly, as shown, to'engage the bar 74. i Y The cams 51 and 52 produce continued oscillation ofthe bars or levers, 58 and these in turn cause the blocks or push'inger car'- riers to reciprocateacross and abovethe feed conveyer,V The 'printed plates are'de-V livers-d insingle lile arrangement Vto Vthe center of the conveycr, as jmay be' seen by vieuf'ing'F ig. 2, andare there pickedupfby the pins 40 extending between the VbarsV 41. l/Vhen the platesparrive beneath the reciproV- eating pushngers they Yare marshaled into Vindependent files in the present instance being divided into two files, one on each side ofthe center of' the 'conveyein Each push finger engages the sides of alternate plates and moves it transversely as it is carried` forward by the coiiveyer. Thetwo push fin- Y gers move together, one being always idle in vthis embodiment of my invention. The idle finger is disposed above the plate being acted upon by the active or operative finger and in order that this idle fingerinay not contact with the'top of the plate to mar the coating, arrangement is provided to hold it elevated. ThisV arrangement consists in the bars 77 and 78 :and pins 72 and 7 3. When feach push carrier block and its finger completes an operative stroke, either the pin 72 soon engages the: down-turned end ofY tliebar 77 or theV pin 7 3 engages the down-turned end of the bar 7 8.` i The respective actionscf these pins s and bars are identicaland l'will describe the action with relation to thepin and bar 78. As soon as the pin 7 3 engages the downturned end of the' bar 78, the 'pin is lifted and the push finger swungr about its push pin 67 and. into the position occupied by the push finger 66 in this figure. The push The movement offthe blocksito each side is f finger G7 then stays elevated `until thenext succeeding platehas been moved tothe right, viewing this figure, by the puslrfinger 66.

passes from underthe influence of the push r`finger somewhat .before the push finger carriers havereached the end, of their sidewise 7 travel; After the plates have been carried y in part atr 96. The carrier 95 carries racks S8' spo outof engagement with thepush lingers,

continued movement of the blocks brings thev pin 72 or 7 3', which is riding upon the guide or bar 77 or 7 8', opposite or above a recess 85, shown in Fig. 2. The elevated ipin drops through this recess and permits they vfinger it controls to assume av verticalv position unf.

der the action ofv the appropriate spring 7l.

In other words, viewing Fig. 3,v continued movement to the leftr of the blocks 6l and V62'is accompanied by a breakingfo'f the centact between the plate 'and push finger 67 and then a movement' of the'push finger 66 tovvertical posit-ion. After the pin hasthus dropped through the recess 85," it passes under theguide 7 and returns iii-vertical position ready to engage the side ef the next succeedf ing plate, at which timethe push finger 67 will have been moved to inoperative position by the bar 7 8. After'dropping through the Y slot thepin is preferably the plateor'crossmeinber 74. v`The coated or lithographed plates are thus into independent files, from which they proceed through kthe continued action'of the conveyer vand eventually` their upperrends en-v counter a chute or guide 8G whichis-inclined upwardly `from the delivery end ofthe feed conveyer at ra sharp angle. ViewingFig. l

it will be Anoted that a Vdrier conveyei" ,95

passes through a heating Y cl'iamber. indicated which are inclined forwardly in the direction of travel of the conveyer. The arrange?, nient of these racks isfsuch that'the plates may be closely stacked'y and yet prevented from having their coated surface come in contact with either the racks or the'neXt Aad jacent plate.

plate slides first up thechute and thenV back is thefirst edgeA to enter betweenI thei'acks Awhich hold the plate in standing or edge- `Wise position. The chute is sharply inclined and in. order 4to -preventthe plates sliding 'down itat too great speed, electi'omagnets jare provided to retard the movements-these magnets heilig Vcontrolled from any suitable by theirupper or coated faces.

in engagement with' Y pusher laterally. Y

The vchiiteSG isv inclined at about the angle'giveii these racks and the r,prising, in combination: a conveyer a plurality of spaced propelling elements 4very greatly economizesin yspace froinsthe feed t-o thevdrying conveyer and 'obviates any necessityof o'uiding the lplates into position It is thought that they invention andfinany L of its attendant advantages will be runder-,- stood from the foregoing description,r and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in theforin, construction and arrangement of theparts without departing from'the spirit and scope of the invention or `sacrificing anyv lof its materialV advantages, the form`hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. Adevice for feeding coated or lithoof the. sheets formarshaling said plates intoa plural-ity of files during the movement of said plates on'saidV conveyer, ,means for moving said fingers upwardly and downwardly, and means for moving said pusher laterally.

2. A device 'for feeding coated oir-,lithographc'd sheets of ltin plate or the likev connk prisinggin combination: a coiiveyer for receiving coatedplatesin centrally disposed engagingtheedges of the sheets ,for mai'- shaling predetermined plates into files,l onV each' side l of, :theeenter of said conveyer, means for moving said fingers upwardlyfand downwardly,'` and- `means for moving said pusherlaterally. shiftedto the right and left and marshaled- Y 3. A'de'vice for feeding' coated or litho-A *Vgraphedisheets of tin plate` or the like1comv ,95 'single' file, and a'. pusher having lingers-for of thegsheets for pushing certain pl'atesiarf ranged lin regular oider with respect .to theA l' other' 'plates side-wise into an `independent file,nieans*for'inoving said lingers upwardly and downwardly, and means for moving said single file arrangement. and a pusher hating y fingers lfor engaging theedges of the'v sheets 'for engaging the side edges of the plates to arrange them in proper relation for dcliverv `,te,said drier, means for moving said fiiigci's lupwardly ,andi downwardly. and means for moving said-'pusher late 1ally. 1

5. A device for feeding coated or lithuiis` graphed sheetsl oftin plate or the lilre com? iig adapted to engage behind successive. plates, l' l iia cl Y port through which said propelling elements extend .tor said plates While being propelled by said propellingerelenients, anda pusher for sliding said plates transversely oli-'said ^support and along the successive' series oi Vpropelling elements While being carried along by said propelling eleinents. l Y 7. A device 'for feeding coated or lithographed sheets of tin plate or thelike com- 1 t n'isine' in combination: a conve er for receiving the plates in single tile arrangement, and a Apusher for moving certain of said plates sidevvisein their movement :on said conveyor, said -pusher having a linger for Vengaging a side ot a plate in its, operative stroke, said linger returning to initial operative position Without Vengagement .vith the 4next succeeding plate.

ceiving the plates in single file arrangement,

and a pusher for moving certa-in of said plates sideivise in their movement on said conveyer, said pusher having a finger :for vengaging a side of a pla-teni its operative stroke, said linger being moved out of the ,Way oli-a succeeding plate during-the re- Y the turn or inactive movement of saidv pusher.

'9. A Vdevice for feeding coated or lithographed sheets ottin plate or the like comprising, in combination: a conveyerior receiving the plates in single tile arrangement,

and a pusher 'for moving' certain of said plates sideivise in their movement on said conveyor, said pusher having Va linger for engaging a side of a plate in its operative stroke, said linger being provided with a pin, and guides tor engaging said pin on its operative and return strokes, the gnide on operative stroke being loiver to permit the pin to engage the'side oi a plate,vandV the guide onv the return stroke holding the `pin ont oit contact ivith the next succeeding plate. Y Y i i 10. A device for feeding coated or lithographed sheets of tin plate or the like coniprising, in combination: a conveyer to which the plates are delivered in single iile arrangement, and a pair of push-fingers each K device for feeding coated or, lithographed sheets of tin Vplat-e o r the Vlike coni-V prising, in combination: aeonveyer ior reot which is adapted to move certain plates out ot-said single file arrangement through engagement withV the side edges or said olates and. means for liftino' said fingers to 9 b o iiately operative push lingers for pushing Y certain plates sideivise into independent iiles, said Vpush fingers being movable together, and means tor holding one out of contact with said plates While the other is operating.

l2. i-i device `for eedingcoated or lithographedsheets oic tinplate or the like comprising, iiicombination: aconveyer adapted to receive plates in singleV tile arrangement, push lingershaving means to engage under the sheets for moving'` certain ot said plates sideivise into an independent lile, and a push pin carrier movable,A transversely ot sai-d conveyer, a lever `for movingV said carrier, and a cam-for moving.saidleveit i3. Si device for `feeding coated or lithographed lsheets oi tin plate or the like comprising, in combination: a conveyor adapted to receivethe plates Vin single file arrangement, a pair of pnsh lingers for inovingceitaino't said plates into independent tiles sideivise in both directions from said single lile, push linger carriers slidable transversely ot the conifever, a pair of levers for moving said carriers, anda pair of cams arranged above saidconveyer.- for actuating said levers.

lili. A device for 'feeding coated'or lithographed Vsheets oit tin plate or the like to an oven or drier comprising, in combination: a conveyor for delivering plates, and a chiite for receiving said plates, said chiite being inclined upwardlyfrom tliedelivei'y end of said conveyer so that the plates received by it-slide lirst up thechute and then dovvn it to cause the rear vedge ot the sheet to be delivered first from saidchute, and a conveyer for receiving said plates from the chiite and constructed Yto carry the platesfon edge face to tace. y

v l5. A device 'for feeding vcoated or lithograplied sheets of tin plate or the like to an oven or drier comprising, in combination: a conveyer for delivering plates, and a cliuteior receiving said plates, said chute being inclined upwardly sharplyV :troni the delivery end of said conveyor so that the plates received by it slide irst up the. chuteV 'and then down it to canse the rear edge of the sheet to bedelivered first from said chute, and means for retarding the downward movement of said plates in said chute, and al conveyor for receiving `said platesiio ' racks.

from the chute and constructed to-carrythe plates on edge face to face; l v 16. vA device for feeding coated'or'lithographed sheets of tinplate` or the like to an oven or drier comprising, in combination:

a conveyer for delivering plates, and a chute i for receiving said plates, said chute being inclined upwardlyfsharply from vv,the delivery,

end of said conveyer so vthat the plates received by it slide first up the chute andthen down-it to cause the rear edge of the sheet to be delivered first from said chute, and

electro-magnetic means for retarding the downward movement of said platesfin said chute.

17.r The combination of a drier for coated or lithographed sheets of tin plate or thev like, and means for feeding said plates thereto comprising: a drier conveyer provided Witlrforwardly movable racks constructed to carryfthe plates faceto `face in its operative travel, an inclinedzfeeding conveyer having a delivery end above the operative travel of said rack, and a chute above the conveyer for receiving said plates fromk said feed conveyer and adjusting their for- 'ward edges upward, said chute being arranged to deliver said sheets into said racks.

18. The combination of a drier for-*coated or lithographed sheets of tin plate or the like, and means for feedingfsaid plates thereto comprising: -a eonveyer havingv racks for carrying the plates disposed on edge, a feed conveyer for feeding said plates to said drier and conveying them in ref clined position, and a chute above'the conveyer for shifting said plates from reclining to edgewise position with their forward edges upward and disposing them? in said 19. The combination of'a drier for coated or lithographed sheets of tin plate ord-the like, and means for feeding said plates thereto comprising, in combination: a vconveyer having racks adaptedto convey the pla-tes standing 0n edge, and a chutey above the conveyer for receiving said plates from -said feed conveyer in up-ended position and Vvdelivering said plates rear edge first to said drier conveyer in position substantially in the-plane of said chute.

20. The combination of a drier lfor coated or lithographed sheets of tin plate or the like, and means for feedingv said plates thereto comprising, in combination: a drying conveyer having conveying racks inclined forwardly in the direction of travel of said conveyer andadapted to receive the plates in up-ended position, a lfeed conveyer for delivering plates tol said drier, and aV` chute above the conveyer anddisposed sub-V stantially in the plane of saidv racks and adaptedV to receive theysheets from said yfeed, conveyer and to reverse their direction of'movement to cause the rear edge of the p sheets to move first into said racks.r

e a 2l. The combination of a drierfor coated or lithographedsheets of tin plate or Vthe like, and means ,for feeding Ysaid plates thereto coi'nprising, in combination: a drying conveyer having conveying racks inclined 'forwardly in the direction of travel of said conveyer and adapted to receive the plates in upended position, a feed conveyer for delivering plates to said drier, and a chute above the conveyer and disposed substantially inf the plane of saidracks and adapted to receive the sheets from said feed conveyer and toreverse their direction of ymovement to "cause the rear edge of the'.

sheets .to move first into said racks, and means vfor retarding the movement of said sheets into said racks. v 'A 22. A device for feeding coated -or lithographed sheets or the like, comprising, in'

combination: av support formed with slatlike longitudinal elements and intermediate slots and of a width suiiicient to receive a plurality of longitudinal files of said ysheets,a

carrier chain near each side of said support,

cross members carried bysaid chainsy beneath the support and having sheet-propelling means eXtending up through the slots i thereof, a .transverse guide ralcove the `support, carriers slidable on said guide, camsl and connected mechanism for Operating said carriers, push fingers pivotally mounted ony 23. A device for feeding coated sheets or'l the like, comprising, in combination: a supportfor the plates, 'conveyer mechanism' having successive transversely arranged se-V ries'of plate-propelling devices formoving' the plates longitudinallyy along said support, and transversely voperating ,pushing means for moving alternate plates first to one side and then to the otherl sidewise along the frontV propelling faces of'said devices ivhile they are being advanced by the latter. v ,Y Signed in the of tivo subscribing Witnesses.

ODONNELL.

l HARRY P. Witnesses:

` HARRY L. WALTON,

CHAs. G. WINTON.

the scope of said sheet-prop 

